SMS postage stamp permanent product for Swiss Post
Following a successful pilot project, mobile franking with the SMS postage stamp will be introduced into Swiss Post’s permanent product range from 1 September 2014. A code is requested via SMS or the Swiss Post smartphone app and is then written down on the envelope. Mobile franking is available through all mobile communications providers in Switzerland and will continue to cost 1.20 francs. During a one-year pilot project, the product attracted a great deal of interest from mobile customers: more than 100,000 letters were franked using the SMS postage stamp.
There is increasing demand from Swiss Post customers for digital products supplementing the physical range currently on offer. Since 2006, customers have been able to purchase stamps online and print them at home using WebStamp. Swiss Post has been testing mobile franking for letters with the SMS postage stamp since September 2013. Based on the positive experiences and the fact that more than 100,000 SMS postage stamps were sold, Swiss Post will now permanently introduce the product, available through all mobile communications providers, into its permanent range from 1 September 2014.
Anyone who wants to send an A Mail standard letter to a Swiss address but does not have a stamp to hand can text the keyword “STAMP” to the number “414”. The code they receive must then be written down in the upper right-hand corner of the envelope and the letter posted in the nearest letter box. Alternatively, the code can be requested via the Swiss Post smartphone app. This code is valid for 10 days and can be used only once. The SMS postage stamp costs 1 franc plus 20 centimes per SMS (including VAT) across all mobile subscriptions.
